Sgp won't connect to phd2

Sorry i do not understand excatly what you mean ( not so fluent in english…)
can you elaborate please ?

many thanks.

francois

Ken,
I have put the last two SGP logs in Dropbox.

Thanks

Peter

Ok i did checked the dither ok, so no more recovery as you stated, but still no guiding launch without manual intervention :
I launch the sequence then have to wait ofr few seconds then appears this dialogue box :

i choose not to recalibrate and then the guiding is launched : how to avoid this dialogue box ?

Please see this according log

http://fdx75.free.fr/public/astro/sg_logfile_20150325201156.txt

Some more : did a complete sequence with begining with a centering and evrything launched perfectly.

So i think no more problem on this.

Thanks for your help.

Peter,

I don’t know if I am going to be much help to you here:

Something odd is going on here. For instance, in one of your logs, our connection to PHD2 seems good because we can get status from it. The odd thing is that it reports guiding, but yet we have not received a single message from PHD2 in over a minute. Normally when guiding, PHD2 will send message for every exposure. Odd behavior starts here:

[3/24/2015 10:22:16 PM] [DEBUG] [PHD2 Listener Thread] PHD2 - No messages received from PHD2 for 10 seconds, checking socket with status…
[3/24/2015 10:22:16 PM] [DEBUG] [PHD2 Listener Thread] PHD2 GetPhdStatus - Pre-Wait : Guiding
[3/24/2015 10:22:16 PM] [DEBUG] [PHD2 Listener Thread] Sending to PHD2:
{“method”: “get_app_state”, “id”: 1001}
[3/24/2015 10:22:16 PM] [DEBUG] [PHD2 Listener Thread] PHD2 GetPhdStatus - Post-Wait: Guiding

Then every minute after, it is forced to get the status because SGPro has received no guiding messages (ignore the log message about 10 seconds… it is a typo that should read 1 minute).

Also, I find the lack of variability for your distance a bit odd too:

3/24/2015 10:42:36 PM] [DEBUG] [Sequence Thread] Distance is below 2.5, starting timer…
[3/24/2015 10:42:36 PM] [DEBUG] [Sequence Thread] PHD2 distance request…
[3/24/2015 10:42:36 PM] [DEBUG] [Sequence Thread] PHD2 distance request returned 0.2…
[3/24/2015 10:42:37 PM] [DEBUG] [Sequence Thread] PHD2 distance request…
[3/24/2015 10:42:37 PM] [DEBUG] [Sequence Thread] PHD2 distance request returned 0.2…
[3/24/2015 10:42:37 PM] [DEBUG] [Sequence Thread] PHD2 distance request…
[3/24/2015 10:42:37 PM] [DEBUG] [Sequence Thread] PHD2 distance request returned 0.2…
[3/24/2015 10:42:38 PM] [DEBUG] [Sequence Thread] PHD2 distance request…
[3/24/2015 10:42:38 PM] [DEBUG] [Sequence Thread] PHD2 distance request returned 0.2…
[3/24/2015 10:42:38 PM] [DEBUG] [Sequence Thread] PHD2 distance request…
[3/24/2015 10:42:38 PM] [DEBUG] [Sequence Thread] PHD2 distance request returned 0.2…
[3/24/2015 10:42:39 PM] [DEBUG] [Sequence Thread] PHD2 distance request…
[3/24/2015 10:42:39 PM] [DEBUG] [Sequence Thread] PHD2 distance request returned 0.2…
[3/24/2015 10:42:39 PM] [DEBUG] [Sequence Thread] PHD2 distance request…
[3/24/2015 10:42:39 PM] [DEBUG] [Sequence Thread] PHD2 distance request returned 0.2…
[3/24/2015 10:42:40 PM] [DEBUG] [Sequence Thread] PHD2 distance request…
[3/24/2015 10:42:40 PM] [DEBUG] [Sequence Thread] PHD2 distance request returned 0.2…
[3/24/2015 10:42:40 PM] [DEBUG] [Sequence Thread] PHD2 distance request…
[3/24/2015 10:42:40 PM] [DEBUG] [Sequence Thread] PHD2 distance request returned 0.2…
[3/24/2015 10:42:41 PM] [DEBUG] [Sequence Thread] PHD2 distance request…
[3/24/2015 10:42:41 PM] [DEBUG] [Sequence Thread] PHD2 distance request returned 0.2…
[3/24/2015 10:42:41 PM] [DEBUG] [Sequence Thread] PHD2 distance request…
[3/24/2015 10:42:41 PM] [DEBUG] [Sequence Thread] PHD2 distance request returned 0.2…
[3/24/2015 10:42:42 PM] [DEBUG] [Sequence Thread] PHD2 distance request…
[3/24/2015 10:42:42 PM] [DEBUG] [Sequence Thread] PHD2 distance request returned 0.2…

Maybe @Andy has some thought on this.

Thank Ken,
I am out again. This evening when I was taking framing exposures with PHD all was well until I started SGP and then PHD almost immediately locked up and stopped taking framing exposures.
When I tried to stop it I got the waiting for devices msg.
So, having nothing to lose, I installed 2773 up from 2772.
Restarted the computer and now have SGP open with PHD with no failures, just waiting for the broken clouds to give me enough of a break to do a short excursion so to speak and see what happens.
Without sounding too optimistic, I may be on to something.
Will keep you advised.

Thank you

Peter

Not really, unless the PHD2 debug log is available. Peter: the log should still be there in the PHD2 log folder, so it would be great if you could post it.

Returning a fixed distance can happen if the guider locks on to a hot pixel. Can’t say that is what happened here without seeing the debug log, but just mentioning it as something that can cause that particular “fixed distance” symptom.

BTW, I also saw the error shown in Francois’s screen capture in post #23 a few days ago. Unfortunately I was wrapped up in some other things did not note the time of the incident. I may still have the logs, but I would not know where to look in the logs, or even which log it was.

Andy

@Andy,
Here is the Dropbox link to the logfiles

I have the last file from last nite and the last file from tonight in there.
The last one from tonight is when I connected everything in SGP, camera, filter wheel , focuser , mount and PHD locked up shortly thereafter (seconds)

Peter

Peter, just for my own sanity, are you posting from 2 accounts? If so can you consolidate?

@Andy I can understand the constant distance for hot pixels, but do you know what would cause PHD2 to stop delivering frame messages when its status is guiding?

Will do on the accounts, use multiple devices (many)
I am using dark frames

Peter

Ok, I just looked at the PHD2 log. The phd2 camera thread started an exposure around 22:12:41 and the exposure never completed. That is why phd2 was not sending any frame messages back to SGP: there were no frames coming back from the camera.

We have some code in PHD2 to detect nonresponsive cameras and abort guiding. For some unknown reason that defensive code did not help in this instance. Hypothetically if the ASCOM driver got hung reading the frame from the camera after indicating the exposure was complete, PHD2’s camera timeout code would not help and we could get stuck like this.

Peter: have you had any issues recently with the camera going unresponsive?

Andy

@Andy
The camera has only become unresponsive after opening SGP and Connecting all the equipment.
I have tried PHD with the Lodestar ASCOM driver, and the native Starlight express SXV driver, using both the mount and the on camera connection.
The results are always the same, The camera in PHD stops taking exposures and it stops guiding.
I had an issue 7-10 days ago where this happened and the result was that SGP would not open at all.
We tried many avenues to get it to open, from complete program uninstalls, drivers ect and reinstalls.
I eventually had to restore the OS (Win 8.1) and reload all my programs.
This behavior probably started right after that.
If I run PHD without connecting any equipment in SGP it will guide forever.
This may be an OS thing, Again running Win 8.1 64 bit on a Dell I7 with 8gb ram.

I have a 32 bit Win7 desktop with all programs mirrored.
The next clear night I will run from that through my Icron Cat5/USB hub and see what happens.
I may have to see if I can install Win 7 on my laptop and the success of that endeavor is questionable as it was built for Win 8.1 (touch screen, ect) and the drivers may not be there for all hardware in use :frowning:

Thank you both for looking at this, they are both great programs and I intend to continue to use them and see this mess out.

Peter

I installed the latest 2.4 last night and PHD2 (2.5) - I’m using Lodestar X2 and Win 7, 64-bit with a USB over cat 5 (Startech). I didn’t see any issues on my system: I opened PHD2, connected, then opened SGP and ran the sequence. It prompted the guiding calibration, guiding, focus etc.

This may not help with your precise issue but good to know it is not necessarily a generic issue.

Thanks Buzz, I am suspecting Win 8.1
I have a 32 bit Win 7 desktop I am going to try over Cat5 when we get our stars back. I expect to be successful.

Lodestars used to be sensitive to power drops - could it be the case that when you connect all the other stuff and turn coolers on, the voltage lowers?? Is the Lodestar cable coming off a powered hub?

I am running a powered hub at the mount over Cat5. When outside I use a 12 foot, inside a 100 ft.
I am also suspecting my Ioptron mount driver, I recently upgraded to the new one that promised some improvements on reporting.
I am going to see if I have the old one archived somewhere.
PHD does not fail until I connect all my equipment in SGP, that leaves 4 drivers suspect, and as the QSI camera and filter wheel are native drivers , kind of narrows it down to the mount or the Moonlite focuser.

Peter

In addition to what Buzz said, I am using Windows 8.1 with my HP laptop with no issues. Windows 8.1 seems to be pretty stable. I use the following devices:

Astro-Physics A-P1100 with FTDI chip USB-to-Serial adapter
QSI 660wsg camera
Lodestar or Superstar autoguider with PHD2
Optec Focus Boss II and Handy Stepper Motor
Digi Hubport powered 7-port USB hub
35 feet active USB extension cable

All of my USB devices come from powered USB hub. I am also using latest SGP version. Every time a new version of SGP is available, I always update.

I would probably blame on one of your devices or device drivers to cause issue. Maybe try connect one device and run sequence, then connect another device and repeat until PHD stops working to do process of elimination.

Peter

Thank you Peter, I am going to do just that.
I will keep the thread updated if I find anything of value.
I am suspecting the Ioptron Commander Ascom driver.
We should know soon

Peter

Peter,

I think buzz is on to something here. Are you using an Icron USB over Cat5 extender? I use the 2212. I have found that the power from the REX is not sufficient for the Lodestar.

If your configuration is this:

PC – LEX ----- (cat5) ---- REX — Lodestar

you will definitely get problems with the Lodestar going non-responsive

If you change to this:

PC – LEX ---- (cat5) ---- REX — Powered USB Hub — Lodestar

life will be good. My setup is 100% reliable this way.

Also, make sure when you connect equipment to power up the USB hub before you connect the Cat 5 cable so that the Lodestar is always powered by the hub. Otherwise the Lodestar can hang.

Andy

Andy,
That was it.
However using your connect method got me 2 min 49 seconds of capturing.
I was already using a powered hub to the REX.
I tried the Cat 6 connect as you suggested, and two different Cat 6 cables, 12’ and 100’
I went to straight USB only, taking the Icron out of the system (2204) and got 20 plus minutes of capturing.
Unfortunate, as it precludes me from using my Icron. It is a bit strange I was using it successfully., but maybe not with the focuser connected, don’t remember.

Regardless, problem seemingly solved. Would you mind sharing what powered hub you are using, I may try that, and if that fails, revert to Teamviewer.
I will also check the differences between the 2212 and 2204.

Thanks everyone for all the input, it was invaluable to say the least.

Peter